Climate activist giant takes major legal hit
Greenpeace has taken a massive legal blow that could potentially bankrupt the climate activist giant’s US operations.
On Wednesday, a North Dakota jury ordered Greenpeace to pay roughly $666.9 million in a defamation suit brought by Energy Transfer. According to the Associated Press, the energy company accused Greenpeace of conspiring to block the construction of its oil pipeline in 2016 by funding protests, sponsoring blockades, and making false statements about the project. Energy Transfer sued Greenpeace for defamation, trespass, nuisance, civil conspiracy, and other acts.
The court has ordered Greenpeace USA to pay nearly $404 million, and Greenpeace Fund Inc. and Greenpeace International to each pay approximately $131 million. The organization, which brought in $40 million in 2023 and recorded $38 million in expenses, has previously suggested that a significant legal defeat in this case could lead to bankruptcy. The group plans to appeal the jury’s decision.
“That’s the really important message today, and we’re just walking out and we’re going to get together and figure out what our next steps are,” Greenpeace senior legal adviser Deepa Padmanabha told reporters after the verdict.
‘They’re going to pay for it’
Meanwhile, Energy Transfer touted its victory as a win for the people of North Dakota.
“While we are pleased that Greenpeace has been held accountable for their actions against us, this win is really for the people of Mandan and throughout North Dakota who had to live through the daily harassment and disruptions caused by the protesters who were funded and trained by Greenpeace,” the company said in a statement.
Kelcy Warren, the billionaire Trump ally behind Energy Transfer, has previously said that climate activists should be “removed from the gene pool.”
“Everybody is afraid of these environmental groups and the fear that it may look wrong if you fight back with these people,” he said in 2017. “But what they did to us is wrong, and they’re going to pay for it.”
